Five Things You Should Know Ahead of Altrincham Hale

Manchester Central travel to face 7th-placed Altrincham Hale this weekend, but what should you know before the whistle blows?

1. Turning the Tide

Manchester Central won their first league fixture since the 28th of January on the weekend, beating Boothstown 2-0 at Seashell Trust.

It was a performance to be proud of for a Central team missing its two starting strikers. Claudio Costa and Elvis Amoakwa filled the void left by Raposo and Kasali's absences, leading the Outcasts to their first victory in over a month - despite a number of positive performances during this time.

Tomkinson, whilst delighted with last weekend's result, is hoping that his team can turn the tide on their recent form by winning a second consecutive match against an Altrincham Hale side which has picked up 7 points from a possible 15 in their last 5 fixtures.

2. Previous Meetings

Manchester Central and Altrincham Hale last met on the 7th of January, when Tomkinson's side emerged victorious with a 2-0 win due to a Junior Silva brace. However, prior to this, the two sides had only ever met in the league on two occasions.

The two sides competed against one another in the Manchester Football League's 2016/17 campaign, when Central finished in 5th place - 10 placed above Hale.

That said, the two sides appeared evenly matched on the pitch, taking one win apiece. Central lost 2-1 away to this weekend's opposition early on in the 2016/17 season before Tomkinson's side won 3-1 at Wright Robinson - with recent returnee Elvis Amoakwa finding himself on the scoresheet.

3. Recent Form

Altrincham Hale are still in the hunt for promotion, currently occupying 7th place in the Manchester Football League Division One. This is seven points ahead of Manchester Central having played two extra games.

However, with shaky form as of late - with Hale having won only three of the nine fixtures they have played since the New Year - Manchester Central may be eyeing up an opportunity to take points back to Seashell Trust.

That said, Hale will be no pushover - shown by their respectable 2-1 loss to the runaway league leaders, Govan and UoM, in February as well as their 4-1 battering of 2nd-placed Elton Vale just a week later.

4. Goals, Goals, Goals

Altrincham Hale boast the league's joint 4th-best goal difference, at +16 goals - fourteen goals better off than Manchester Central.

Having scored 55 goals so far this season, the 4th most and 12 more than Central, Hale host a significant attacking threat. This is proven by the fact that this weekend's hosts have scored four or more goals on seven occasions this term.

Hale are equally impressive in the defensive department, having conceded just 39 goals in the 22 games they have played - two fewer than Central have conceded in 20 games. This has earnt them the 6th least goals conceded so far, meaning that Tomkinson's attacking line will have to work for their opportunities.

5. Names on the Scoresheet

Of the 28 players who have donned the Altrincham Hale shirt this season, 13 have netted on at least one occasion.

Tomkinson will be wary of the threat that this weekend's opposition poses from all over the pitch, however, there is one man in particular on which he will be focused.

Jack Yates is Altrincham's leading bagsman, with his 15 goals currently earning him joint 4th in the league's top scorers list. This is just one goal shy of the league's third highest scorer, Manchester Central striker Fuad Kasali.